Austria criminal responsibility of minors

Revue Internationale de Droit Penal

Volumn 75, Issue 1-2, 2004, Pages 121-149

  Höpfel, Frank ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA   (Austria)

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EID: 66449094029     PISSN: 02235404     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3917/ridp.751.0121     Document Type: Article

References (110)

1. Bundesgesetz vom 20. Oktober 1988 über die Rechtspflege bei Jugendstraftaten, Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt) 1988 No. 599, as amended by Bundesgesetz vom 6. März 2001, Bundesgesetzblatt I 2001 No. 19, mit dem das Jugendgerichtsgesetz, das Strafgesetzbuch und das Gerichtsorganisationsgesetz geändert werden (nJGG-Novelle 2001"). - For the definitive commentary, see U. Jesionek, Das österreichische Jugendgerichtsgesetz, 3rd ed., Wien, 2001; for the history, compare W. Bogensberger, Jugendstrafrecht und Rechtspolitik, Wien, 1992; for an introduction, compare O. Maleczky, Jugendstrafrecht, 3rd ed., Wien, 2001. The most recent overview on Austrian juvenile criminal law has been given by M. Löschnig-Gspandl's chapter on 'österreich', in: H.-J. Albrecht/M. Kilchling (eds.), Jugendstrafrecht in Europa, Freiburg. i.Br., 2002, p. 269 et seq.
2. Bundesgesetz vom 23. Jänner 1974 über die mit gerichtlicher Strafe bedrohten Handlungen, Bundesgesetzblatt 1974 No. 60, as amended by Strafrechtsänderungsgesetz 2002, Bundesgesetzblatt I/2002 No. 134.
3. Section 1310 ABGB adds that the court may, within equity, impose liability for damages on a young person in singular cases at an even younger age, given that the judge has found "guilt," or is taking into account that the victim had, in order to spare the offender, refrained from self-defense, or, finally, with regard to the economic situation of the offender and the victim. This rule, however, can only apply if damages cannot be established on basis of the principal rule, contained in Section 1309 ABGB (liability of parents or other supervising persons; see infra on question 6).
4. Compare D. Kienapfel/F. Höpfel, Strafrecht Allgemeiner Teil, 9th ed., Wien, 2001, p. 81.
5. For the distinction from regular insanity, see Maleczky (Supra, footnote 1), p. 18-19.
6. The title to the latter reads: "Zurechnungsunfähigkeit". Both provisions cited above rule the minimum age closely connected to the insanity rule (see Sections 3 VStG and 7 (1) FinStrG) and allow for impunity of juveniles on the ground of retarded maturity (Sections 4 (2) VStG and 7 (3) FinStrG, both as amended in 2002 - see infra, II 1).
7. For the upper age limit which is relevant to the reaching of penal majority (the distinction between juveniles and adults) compare infra, question II 2.
8. Jugendwohlfahrtsgesetz 1989 (JWG), Bundesgesetzblatt 1989 No. 161, as amended by Federal Act, Bundesgesetzblatt 2000 I No. 135.
9. Section 1 (2) JWG, actually referring to the Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch).
10. See Sections 23 (1) (a) and 24 (1) and (3) JGG.
11. Entwurf eines Bundesgesetzes, mit dem das Jugendgerichtsgesetz 1988 geändert wird, government bill (Regierungsvorlage), annexes to the stenographic records of the National Council, 21st term (Beilagen zu den stenographischen Protokollen des Nationalrates, XXI. Gesetzgebungsperiode), no. 1283.
12. See also infra (question III 1).
13. See also the implementing (state) laws, such as the Tyrolean Youth Welfare Act (Tiroler Jugendwohlfahrtsgesetz) 2000, Landesgesetzblatt 2000 No. 51, Section 11 (1) (b) (3) which mentions, as examples of such services, front line social work as well as homeless shelters for youth.
14. Arms Act (Waffengesetz), Section 11; violations of which being punishable, pursuant to Section 51 (2) leg. cit., with administrative fines). See Waffengesetz 1966, Bundesgesetzblatt I 1997 No. 12, as amended by Article VI (4) Strafrechtsänderungsgesetz, Bundesgesetzblatt I 2002 No. 134.
15. Schulunterrichtsgesetz, Bundesgesetzblatt 1986 No. 472, as amended by Federal Act, Bundesgesetzblatt I 2001 No. 78.
16. Verordnung des Bundesministers für Unterricht und Kunst betreffend die Schulordnung, Bundesgesetzblatt 1974 No. 373, as amended in Bundesgesetzblatt 1996 No. 221.
17. See the second sentence of Section 47 (4) SchUG.
18. For a more detailed list, see Section 8 of the Schulordnung.
19. Bundesgesetzblatt I 2001 No. 78.
20. See explanatory notes of the government bill (Regierungsvorlage), annexes to the stenographic records of the National Council, 21st term (Beilagen zu den stenographischen Protokollen des Nationalrates, XXI. Gesetzgebungsperiode), no. 582.
21. See Section 144 ABGB ("Obsorge").
22. Ehe- und familienrechtliche Entscheidungen - Cases in matrimonial and family law (EFSlg) 15.619 = Entscheidungen des österreichischen Obersten Gerichtshofes in Zivilsachen - Supreme Court Civil Cases (SZ) vol. 44 no. 8.
23. Compare Supra, question 1 (at end of footnote 3).
24. See Supreme Court, Evidenzblatt (EvBl) 1962 no. 5 = Juristische Blätter (JBl) 1962, p. 263 = SZ vol. 34 no.137 = EFSlg 1.933; EFSlg 15.619 = SZ vol. 44 no. 8; Zeitschrift für Verkehrsrecht (ZVR) 1982 no. 109 = EFSlg 38.567; ZVR 1983 no. 206 = EFSlg 41.090; and many others.
25. EFSlg 63.243.
26. ZVR 1984 no. 324.
27. EvBl 1967 no. 349 = JBl 1967, p. 431 = EFSlg 8.427.
28. EFSlg 1.935.
29. EFSlg 36.162; österr. Richterzeitung (RZ) 1982 no. 67 = EFSlg 41.087.
30. Commission by omission (Section 2 StGB) on basis of a legal duty to prevent a single act (see Fuchs, österreichisches Strafrecht, Allgemeiner Teil I, 4th ed., Wien 2000, p. 325/6.
31. See, e.g., the Vienna Law on the Protection of Young People (Wiener Jugendschutzgesetz) of 2002, Landesgesetzblatt 2002 No. 17. According to Section 12, violations of the law by adults are punishable with a fine up to 15,000 (substitute imprisonment up to six weeks), if committed with the intention of profits, otherwise with a fine up to 700 (substitute imprisonment up to three days; young persons over 14 who violate the law are to be informed about the law and, only if this is futile, fined up to 200 (no substitute prison).
32. Federal Act, Bundesgesetzblatt I 2001 No. 19 (see supra at footnote 1)
33. Kindschaftsrechts-änderungsgesetz 2001, Bundesgesetzblatt I 2000 No. 135.
34. See, esp., the comments on the draft (http://www.parlinkom.gv.at/pd/pm/ XXI/ME/his/000/ME00098-.html) and the deliberations of 12 December, 2000 of a commission of enquiry set up about the treatment of offenders in Austria (Parlamentarische Enquetekommission über das Thema nDie Reaktionen auf strafbares Verhalten in österreich, ihre Angemessenheit, ihre Effizienz, ihre Ausgewogenheit"). Compare Jesionek (as supra, footnote 1), pp. 296-298.
35. Regierungsvorlage, annexes to the stenographic records of the National Council, 21st term (Beilagen zu den stenographischen Protokollen des Nationalrates, XXI. Gesetzgebungsperiode), no. 340. Compare Justice Committee report (Justizausschussbericht), annexes to the stenographic records (Beilagen z. d. sten. Prot., no. 404, including the critical remark by MP Stoisits (Abweichende persönliche Stellungnahme der Abg. Mag. Terezija Stoisits'), ibid., pp. 13/14.
36. Bundesgesetzblatt I/2002 No. 97 (see Article VI (1) amending Section 7 (3) FinStrG and, implicitly, making the references to the JGG contained in the FinStrG, "floating" (i.e. dynamic) references.
37. Compare Supra, I 2.
38. Article 2 (1) Verwaltungsverfahrensnovelle 2002, Bundesgesetzblatt I/2002 No. 117 (promulgated 9 August 2002 with a retroactive entering-into-force on 1 August 2002; see Article 2 (6) of this Act). It used to be the same age before 1990, i.e. before the amendment, in conformity with the JGG 1988, by Federal Act of 6 June 1990 (Bundesgesetz, mit dem das Verwaltungsstrafgesetz geändert wird), Bundesgesetzblatt 1990 No. 358 (compare Jesionek, Supra, footnote 1, p. 60).
39. Compare Supra, I 2. Concerning the treatment of juvenile offenders, this law on administrative penalties contains only a few provisions. Beside the rule on retarded maturity as a ground for exculpability already mentioned (Section 4 (2), see Supra, I 2), the notion of "juvenile" is relevant to a sentencing rule allowing for lower minimum sentences (Section 20) and to the rules on the enforcement of jail sentences (esp., Section 53e). Moreover, such enforcement is absolutely prohibited against juveniles under 16 years of age (see Section 54 (1) VStG).
40. For tax and customs offences as well as for the general administrative penal law, compare Sections 7 (3) FinStrG and 4 (2) VStG (see Supra, I 2 and II 1).
41. "Vergehen", as opposed to felonies "Verbrechen," which, within the definition of Section 17 Penal Code, are crimes that require intent and are punishable with more than three years of imprisonment.
42. See Supra, on question I 4, second paragraph.
43. Supra, footnote 32.
44. See title of Section 46a JGG ("Verfahrensbestimmungen für Strafsachen junger Erwachsener").
45. Sections 23, 24, 27 to 30, 34 and 46a (1) JGG.
46. See the second sentence of Section 35 (1) in connection with Section 46a (2) JGG.
47. Section 37 in connection with Section 46a (2) JGG.
48. Section 32 (1) in connection with Section 46a (2) JGG.
49. Section 42 in connection with Section 46a (2) JGG.
50. Besondere Jugenderhebungen: see Sections 43 (1), 48 (1) and (4), 49 in connection with Section 46a (2) JGG. - For further information on the above paragraph, see Jesionek (Supra, footnote 1), passim, esp. p. 208 et seq., 227 et seq., 280 et seq., 299/300.
51. See Section 46 (3) StGB.
52. As amended by Federal Act, Bundesgesetzblatt I 2001 No. 44.
53. For further rules concerning the criminal record of young adults, see Section 6 (3) and (6) . leg. cit.
54. As the Jugendgerichtshof Wien also has the rank of a regional court, there exists a parallel structure within the prosecution authorities, i.e. the Vienna Public Prosecutors Office for Juveniles ("Jugendstaatsanwaltschaft Wien"). The whole structure is supposed to be dissolved, see supra at footnote 11.
55. Compare supra, II 4.
56. Section 30 JGG.
57. Section 28 JGG.
58. See Sections 313 and 432 StPO.
59. A government proposal of 2002 for a major reform of Austrian criminal procedure only deals with the pre-trial stage.
60. For the rationale of this rule, one has to consider the high complexity of the issues -civil and criminal- which would be involved in such a procedure to detain somebody in a forensic-psychiatric institution.
61. See further infra, question IV 9.
62. Supra, question I 1.
63. See H. Koziol/R. Welser, Grundriss des Bürgerlichen Rechts, vol. I, 10th ed., Wien 2000, p. 485.
64. Compare Supra, question I 2.
65. See Supra, on question I 1, footnote 3.
66. See the roots of Section 197a StPO, as introduced 1987.
67. Strafrechtsänderungsgesetz 1987 (to date, Section 197 StPO).
68. Bundesverfassungsgesetz zum Schutz der persönlichen Freiheit, Bundesgesetzblatt 1988 No. 684.
69. Supra, II 4 (a).
70. Mediengesetznovelle 1992, Bundesgesetzblatt 1993 No. 20.
71. See esp. para. 1 and 2 subpara. 2 of Section 7a Media Act; for exceptions, see para. 3.
72. The second sentence of Section 15 (2) FinStrG reads as follows: "über Jugendliche (§ 7 Abs. 3) darf eine Freiheitsstrafe nicht verhängt werden."
73. See infra, IV 7.
74. With regard to life imprisonment, see infra IV, 9.
75. With regard to life imprisonment, see infra IV, 9.
76. See supra II 4b).
77. In principle, if the circumstance already changes the range of punishment it may be not additionally be used as a mitigating circumstance, see Section 32 (2) StGB ("Doppelverwertungsverbot"). The mitigating circumstance of youth may, however, still be relevant for misdemeanours which do not carry a minimum sentence.
78. For adults this possibility generally only applies to sentences of up to 2 years (respectively 3 years, where only a part of the sentence is suspended), see Sections 43 and 43a StGB (exceptions are defined in Sections 41 and 41a).
79. See supra II 4 c) and d).
80. See Section 18 JGG.
81. See Section 35 Narcotics and Psychotropics Act (Suchtmittelgesetz - SMG) which goes back to a provision created in 1971.
82. See M. Burgstaller, 'Perspektiven der Diversion in österreich', in Bundesministerium für Justiz (ed.), Perspektiven der Diversion in österreich, Interdisziplinäre Tagung vom 27. bis 29. April 1994 in Innsbruck, Wien, 1995, p. 123 et seq., 128.
83. Compare H. V. Schroll, 'Nachbemerkungen zu § 42', in F. Höpfel/E. Ratz (eds.), Wiener Kommentar zum Strafgesetzbuch, 2nd ed., issue 13, Wien, 2000, p. 24 et seq.
84. See F. Höpfel, 'Das Freiwilligkeitselement bei der Diversion', in R. Moos et al. (eds.), Festschrift für Udo Jesionek, Wien - Graz 2002, p. 329 et seq.
85. See the ground for nullity according to subpara. 10a of Section 281 (1) StPO.
86. See M. Löschnig-Gspandl, 'Diversion in Austria - Legal Aspects', European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, vol. 9 (2001), p. 281 et seq.
87. That corresponds with a maximum penalty of ten years of prison for adults (see Section 5 (4) JGG).
88. See second sentence of Section 7 (1) JGG. According to an opinion shared by the author, this includes crimes resulting in the death of another person which in general are excluded from diversion by Section 90a (2) (3) StPO and first sentence of Section 7 (1) JGG.
89. This root of the diversion system has been focussing therapy for drug-users in substitution of punishment; see Narcotic Drugs Act, Section 35 et seq.
90. See comprehensively Löschnig-Gspandl (as supra, footnote 86).
91. As amended by Article III (1a) Strafprozessnovelle 1999.
92. Römisches Statut des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs samt Erklärung der Republik österreich, Bundesgesetz- blatt III/2002 No. 180.
93. For the history see articles 26 and 75 of the draft statute (M. C. Bassiouni, The Statute of the International Criminal Court. A Documentary History, 1998, p. 143 and 181).
94. Bundesgesetzblatt I/2002 No. 135.
95. See the arguments in favour of a new prison for youth in the metropolitan area of Vienna presented by the Federal Ministry of Justice recently. These arguments could not, however, convince the public opinion also to move, and even dissolve, the Vienna Juvenile Court (see Supra, I 4 and III 1).
96. See Supra, I 2.
97. See supra,
98. Jugendgerichtshof Wien, 5 Hv 15/00.
99. Working Group "Separated Refugee Children in Austria" ("Minderjährige in Schubhaft"); see Report of this Working Group on 11 July 2000 (http://www.menschenrechtsbeirat.at/mrb-bericht-mj-vt.html).
100. Compare Oberlandesgericht Wien 21 Bs 173/00.
101. Bundesgesetzblatt 1979 no. 529, as amended by Strafrechtsä nderungsgesetz 1996, Bundesgesetzblatt 1996 No. 762.
102. See R. Linke, Grundriβ des Auslieferungsrechts, 1983, p. 75.
103. Section 32 (3) ARHG, as amended 1996.
104. For surrender in advance, if in the child's interest, see Section 36 (3) ARHG; compare K. Schwaighofer, Auslieferung und Internationales Strafrecht, 1988, p. 160.
105. Section 37 (1) JGG; see supra, II 4, a.
106. For this rationale compare Linke, as Supra, p. 44.
107. Linke, as Supra, p. 38.
108. The wording of Section 22 ARHG refers to Section 1 (2) JGG 1988, again without the JGG amendment of 2001 containing a clause which explicitly would make such references "floating". The author would suggest it be interpreted in the same way as the reference in Section 24 of the Act on Fiscal Offences, which had to be read before the recent amendment of 2002 (compare supra, at footnote 36).
109. 11 Os 139/98 (Juristische Blätter 2001, p. 331 et seq., with comments by J. Dedeyne-Amann).
110. See the train of thought with Dedeyne-Amann (as Supra, p. 332 et seq.).